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Vine Weevil and their Control
There are several aids/chemicals available to control Vine Weevil eggs and grubs such as Levington Compost with the control already added, Provado which is mixed with water and also controls Whitefly and other aphids for several months, Armillatox added to water which attacks the eggs and larva and nematodes for those who do not like chemicals.
The adults are active at night and can only reach plants by crawling from branch to branch or by crawling along the bench (remember they do not fly) they have to walk to their victims (plants) so what can you do to prevent this?
You all know the tried and tested way is to crunch them under foot giving a great deal of satisfaction, but there are other aids and ways to help you combat Vine Weevil and you might just get away from the nightly tour of the garden with a torch looking for the little devils. One method is to put up a barrier to stop them getting to the bench, this is done by using an insect barrier glue (made by Agralan Ltd) which acts as a deterrent and is most effective on vertical surfaces i.e. bench supports, pots and canes. For outside use you might want to construct a barrier for them to climb over and put a line of glue on the outside surface so when the Vine Weevil climbs up she gets stuck. Another method is to crumple up some paper up and place in a flower pot then coat this with Vine Weevil Dust by Doff and place the pot on its side, the Vine Weevil likes to hide during the day and crawls into the pot coating itself with the dust which kills them. You can also make a tube out of corrugated card, dust with Vine Weevil dust and place in a suitable position and wait for the little devils to find it. GEOFF OKE
P.S. from Carol Gubler: A couple of other thoughts - add a little Ribena or blackcurrant juice into your vine weevil traps - apparently they cannot resist it! Pop it onto cotton wool at the top of the pot so that the perfume permeates all around! Or put fleece on the bench - their feet get caught in the weave and they are still stuck there in the morning.
Sowing Seed is easy
but will it germinate?
At the September meeting of Bournemouth and Poole Fuchsia Society I took
home some seed of "Lechlade Gorgon". The next morning I squashed the berries onto a double thickness of paper kitchen roll. I removed the excess pulp as I went along and then allowed it to dry out for twenty-four hours. The next day 14.09.01 I filled two half seed trays with seed sowing compost, then I cut the paper in half and laid each half on the surface of the compost. I covered the seed with sopping wet vermiculite until the colour of the paper just disappeared, doing this still allows enough light through, and contains all the moisture needed for the seed to germinate. Both were covered with a plastic dome and placed on a purposely manufactured heat pad. Germination was evident on the 25.09.01 - after just eleven days - be warned, not all fuchsia seed germinates that quickly. The next step is to maintain a constant temperature and give them good light, but keep them out of direct sunlight. As soon as they grow their first pair of true leaves they will need to be pricked out. I have hundreds of little seedlings and none will be Lechlade Gorgon. They will all be new hybrids, which will probably be of poor quality and consigned to the compost heap. If you want another plant of Lechlade Gorgon take cuttings. When the seedlings have grown into small plants and it is possible, take a cutting, do so, because this will normally flower before the parent plant you took it from. Remember to give it the same code as the mother plant in case it turns out to be a good one.
I have grown hundreds from seed that I have gathered and grown for fun and I have only kept five that I thought were worthwhile. They are Li Kai Lin, Val's Pink Ice both hanging basket types and available at nurseries, and three others, Bramsdene, Bramsdene Girl and Pride of Bramsdene. Of the latter three, Pride of Bramsdene is hardy, flowers early and keeps flowering. It's bloom is similar in size and shape as Display, but is a darker red in sepals and corolla.
Have fun in being a seed gatherer and sower. DEREK LUTHER
Courtesy of the British Fuchsia Society CAD's Fuchsia News
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